By Peter Houghton
“We should not complain, the Spanish won’t like it”.
How many times have you heard members of the international community say those words? I am sure it has been more often than you would care to recall. Residents who have chosen to make their home along the Costas feel that if they voice their dissatisfactions about the lack of basic services it would be viewed as being disrespectful to their host nation, BUT of course, they are mistaken
What people fail to recognise is that it is only by complaining, advocating and highlighting issues that politicians will ever respond and make those much-needed changes – and this is especially true about local politics.
Irrespective of where people live, there are always things that local communities want and need, all of which will inevitably incur a cost that has to be paid out of local rates and taxes.,
Invariably every locality within a larger municipal authority will feel that their needs are greater or more important than the needs of another district within the same local authority. All residents, irrespective of nationality, want access to the same quality of services enjoyed by other people living in the same municipal area – no more, no less, just the same.
Many people will feel they are being discriminated against if residents from an adjacent local government area have far better facilities and services than their own.
How the public can make their needs known is through complaining, often using local newspapers, social media, radio and television to highlight the importance of the issues and gaining more public awareness.
Residents will also advocate for a particular service or provision, pointing out that this service is generally available in other parts of the municipality, that they are being disadvantaged by not having access to the same types of facilities that are enjoyed by other ratepayers.
Often in a democracy residents will present petitions showing the strength of feelings they have about particular issues, for example building on the last piece of undeveloped land on the coast such as Cala Mosca!
People need to realise that criticising the poor level of local services provided on Orihuela Costa is not a criticism of Spain. Orihuela Costa is not typical of Spanish towns and villages as it lacks many of the basic services that are taken for granted elsewhere. Importantly, Spanish people living on Orihuela Costa state that they are also disgusted by the blatant discrimination shown by Orihuela City councillors towards the coast.
Spanish people welcome the interest shown by international community in advocating for essential services that can be enjoyed by all Orihuela Costa residents.
However, Orihuela Council seems to have a warped sense of fairness and equality when it comes to Orihuela Costa. We inevitably suffer from collateral damage when our politicians make decisions that only suit themselves.
THEY DON’T KNOW.
THEY DON’T WANT TO KNOW.
THEY CAN’T BE BOTHERED TO KNOW.
And the worst thing is that they don’t care, because they are impervious to scrutiny.
REMEMBER Local Government spending has the most important influence on your enjoyment and the quality of your life in Spain. Complain! You do have rights in Spain! “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided”, J.K. Rowling
